Systems and methods for handling a plurality items by using a sorter to receive items and obtain item information and delivery destinations from the items. A run manifest is generated having an item identifier and a destination for each of the plurality of items. The run manifest data is used in a routing module to generate dynamic routes for delivering the plurality of items, and generating a sequence identifier for each of the plurality of items according to the dynamically generated routes.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A system for handling items comprising: an inventory control processor configured to receive and store item information including a destination for each of a plurality of items and configured to generate a run manifest including the item information; a memory configured to store a plurality of static routes, each of the static routes including a set of fixed delivery destinations to be followed in a fixed order, the plurality of static routes including all delivery destinations within a specific geographic location; a routing processor configured to: receive the run manifest; group delivery destinations from the plurality of static routes into a plurality of subsets according to a quantity of items to be delivered to one or more of the delivery destinations from the plurality of static routes; and generate a plurality of dynamic routes, each of the plurality of the dynamic routes based upon the plurality of subsets; assign each of the quantity of items to one of the plurality of dynamic routes; and generate a sequence identifier for each of the quantity of items according to the assigned one of the plurality of dynamic routes; a processor configured to associate an item identifier for each of the quantity of items with the plurality of dynamic routes to which the quantity of items have been assigned and to store the association in a memory; and a sorter comprising a scanning device, the sorter configured to receive the quantity of items and the association and to sort the quantity of items according to the assigned dynamic routes.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sorter is configured to apply the sequence identifiers to the plurality of items.
3. The system of claim 2 wherein the run manifest comprises a first type of items and a second type of items, and wherein the routing processor is configured to generate the plurality of dynamic routes for the first type of items, and wherein the routing processor is configured to assign the second type of items to the plurality of static routes according to the delivery destinations for the second type of items.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sorter is further configured to display a dynamic route identifier, and/or sequence identifiers associated with the item identifiers, to one or more of the plurality of items.
5. The system of claim 1 wherein the sorter is further configured to sort a plurality of items according to the dynamic route and/or sequence identifiers associated with the plurality of items.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the inventory control processor is further configured to associate each of the plurality of items with the static route according to the destination for each of the plurality of items.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the inventory control processor is further configured to group one or more static routes.
8. The system of claim 2 further comprising a rack having a plurality of bins, wherein the sorter is further configured to sort the items into the plurality of bins based at least in part on the sequence identifier for each of the plurality of items.
9. A method of dynamically routing items comprising: generating, by a processor, a run manifest, the run manifest comprising an item identifier and a delivery destination for each of a plurality of items; storing a plurality of static routes in a memory, each of the static routes including a set of fixed delivery destinations to be followed in a fixed order, the plurality of static routes including all delivery destinations within a specific geographic location; grouping the plurality of static routes into a plurality of subsets according to a number of items to be delivered to delivery destinations along each of the plurality of static routes; generating, by a processor, a plurality of dynamic routes, each of the plurality of dynamic routes including delivery destinations from one of the plurality of subsets of static routes; assigning each of the plurality of items to one of the plurality of dynamic routes; generating a sequence identifier for each of the plurality of items according to the assigned one of the plurality of dynamic routes; associating the item identifier of one or more of the plurality of items with one of the plurality of dynamic routes and storing the association in a memory; receiving a plurality of items in a sorter, the sorter comprising a scanner; scanning the plurality of items to read the item identifiers on the plurality of items, and to identify the dynamic routes to which the plurality of items are assigned; and sorting the plurality of items according to the sequence identifier and dynamic route for each of the plurality of items.
10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising apply the sequence identifiers to the plurality of items.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the run manifest comprises an identification of a first type of item and a second type of item, and wherein the method further comprising generating the plurality of dynamic routes for items of the first type, and wherein items of the second type are assigned to the plurality of static routes according to the delivery destinations for the second type of items.
12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising associating each of the plurality of items with one of the plurality of static routes according to the delivery destination for each of the plurality of items.
13. The method of claim 9 , wherein generating plurality of dynamic routes is based at least in part on a criteria selected from: a class of service, an item type, and a delivery time.
14. A system for dynamically routing items comprising: means for generating a run manifest, the run manifest comprising an item identifier and a delivery destination for each of the plurality of items; means for storing a plurality of static routes, each of the static routes including a set of fixed delivery destinations to be followed in a fixed order, the plurality of static routes including all delivery destinations within a specific geographic location; means for grouping the plurality of static routes into a plurality of subsets according to a number of items to be delivered to delivery destinations along each of the plurality of static routes; means for generating a plurality of dynamic routes each of the plurality of dynamic routes including delivery destinations from one of the plurality of subsets of static routes; and means for assigning each of the plurality of items to one of the plurality of dynamic routes; means for generating a sequence identifier for each of the plurality of items according to the assigned one of the plurality of dynamic routes; and means for associating the item identifier of one or more of the plurality of items with one of the plurality of dynamic routes and storing the association in a memory.
15. A system for dynamically routing items comprising: a sorter comprising a scanning device, the sorter configured to receive and scan a plurality of items; an inventory control processor configured to receive and store item information and destination information from the sorter for the plurality of items; a memory configured to store a plurality of static routes, each of the static routes including a set of fixed delivery destinations to be followed in a fixed order the plurality of static routes including all delivery destinations within a specific geographic location; a routing processor configured to generate one or more dynamic routes within groupings of destinations within the plurality of static routes, for delivering the plurality of items at locations on the one or more dynamic routes according to the destinations for each of the plurality of items; and a processor configured to associate the item identifier of one or more of the plurality of items with one of the one or more dynamic routes and to store the association in a memory.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the sorter is further configured to sort the plurality of items according to the dynamic routes and/or sequence identifiers associated with the plurality of items, and to apply the sequence identifiers to the items.
17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the inventory control processor is further configured to associate each of the plurality of items with a static route according to the destination for each of the plurality of items.
18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the inventory control processor is further configured to group one or more static routes.
19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the routing processor is further configured to generate the one or more dynamic routes according to the grouped static routes.
20. The system of claim 15 , wherein the memory is further configured to store historical item processing data, and wherein the grouping of at least some of the plurality of static route is based on at least some of the stored historical item processing data.
21. The system of claim 20 , wherein the stored historical item processing data is based on a historical quantity of items delivered in at least one of the static routes during particular time periods.
22. The system of claim 15 , wherein the grouping of at least some of the plurality of static routes is based on geographic proximity of routes.
23. The system of claim 15 , wherein the grouping of at least some of the plurality of static routes is based on both historical item processing data and geographic proximity of routes.
24. The system of claim 15 , wherein the routing processor is further configured to generate the one or more dynamic routes based on which of the plurality of items have destinations within at least one of the groupings of static routes.
25. The system of claim 15 , wherein the routing processor is further configured to generate the one or more dynamic routes based, at least in part, on item and destination information of items which are physically located at a unit delivery facility, and based, at least partially, on item and destination information of expected incoming items.
26. The system of claim 15 , wherein the routing processor is further configured to generate the one or more dynamic routes based, at least in part, on availability of item processing and delivery resources at a delivery facility.
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August 7, 2015
April 6, 2021
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